News-Record.com

Oh man, have we got some great games coming up this Friday! Here's the list, just to whet your appetite again:

4-AA West
#11 Northwest Guilford (6-4) at #6 Richmond County (7-2-1)
#15 Myers Park (5-6) at #2 East Forsyth (10-1)

4-A West
#12 High Point Central (6-4) at #5 Page (7-3)

3-AA East
#15 Winterville South Central (5-5) at #2 Dudley (10-0)
#11 Western Guilford (6-4) at #6 Erwin Triton (8-2)
#14 Southeast Guilford (7-3) at #3 Ragsdale (10-0)
#9 Wilson Hunt (4-6) at #8 Northeast Guilford (5-5)

3-A West
#10 Western Alamance (8-2) at #7 Andrews (7-3)

2-AA East
#9 North Pitt (6-4) at #8 Southern Guilford (7-3)
#16 West Stanly (4-6) at #1 Reidsville (10-0)
#12 McMichael (8-2) at #5 West Stokes (8-2)
#13 Eastern Guilford (7-3) at #4 Northwood (9-1)

1-AA West
#10 Bishop McGuinness (6-4) at #7 East Surry (8-2)
#16 East Wilkes (2-8) at Thomasville (10-0)

We'll have full previews of each game later this week, but a few quick thoughts:

Best matchup: Southeast-Ragsdale, by far. The Tigers won 7-6 on Sept. 29 on a disputed touchdown in the game's final minute, and you know Southeast is dying for a chance at revenge. That defeat triggered a three-game losing streak for Southeast, but the Falcons have recovered to win four straight, scoring more in that span than they did in their first seven games combined.

Best matchup, part 2: McMichael at West Stokes. The Wildcats' 14-6 win on their Homecoming was just McMichael's second defeat of the season. The Phoenix are back in the playoffs a year after going 1-9.

Remember last year's first round, when Western outgunned Harnett Central in a 49-46 shootout? We could be in for a similar scoreboard-buster when the Hornets face Erwin Triton, which has surrendered 27 points or more on five occasions.

Who'da thunk it: After all its tribulations this season, Northeast will be hosting a playoff game this Friday. The Rams face a similarly charmed Wilson Fike team, which had to win its last three games just to be playoff eligible, including a 27-26 victory over then-8-1 Wilson Beddingfield last week.

So what will you be looking for this weekend? Who's ripe for an upset? Can Southeast get the last laugh? Most importantly, who's got room at their tailgate?

Page AD Rusty Lee just passed along a touching story about former Pirate Marsharee Neely, who's now a junior on the Old Dominion basketball team, and how he was touched by former Page English teacher Tony Bryant, who died of cancer on Halloween.

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/11/neely-plays-through-loss

The Nighthawks boys team, in shape to be the one of the top squads in the county after going 19-9 last season, will host Raleigh Word of God at around 6 p.m. tonight. That team features 6-foot-4 guard John Wall, whom Rivals.com lists as the top prospect in the class of 2009.

And then another big day of basketball set for next Saturday at Northern. The 9th annual Piedmont Challenge will feature 28 teams from across the state:

11:30 Greensboro Day vs. Carrboro(Girls) Grimsley vs. HP Christian (Boys)
1:00 Ragsdale vs. N. Davidson (G) Greensboro Day vs. Carrboro (B)
2:30 N. Davidson vs. Triton (B) Southern Durham vs. Reagan (B)
4:00 HP Central vs Ashe County (G) Q.E.A. vs. New Creations (IN) (B)
5:30 E. Davidson vs River Mill (G) Trinity vs. Reynolds (B)
7:00 Concord vs Dudley (G) Northern Guilford vs. Trinity (G)
8:30 Statesville vs Bishop McGuiness (G) Northern Guilford vs. W-S Prep (B)